 |
Photo by Kim DeFranco
|
March to end the war
Over 200 people marched Saturday, Oct. 7, from Lake and Hennepin to Loring Park to protest the continued war in Afghanistan.
Steve Clemens of Vets for Peace made the following remarks at the beginning of the march:
I stand before you today more in sadness than anger—although I have some of both.
My anger, however, is less directed at President Obama than at the system where most of our political leaders are (willingly) trapped: a system of hegemony and domination supported by a military system which is more predatory than protective. Our political leaders like to think they are “protecting the American Way of Life” when, in reality, they are promoting a predatory system of corporate domination which seeks to continue the profligate pattern of American overconsumption protected at gunpoint.
 read more
Minnehaha Academy celebrates a hundred years
BY ED FELIEN
 |
Casey Haffield and Marcellous Hazzard were crowned queen and king at Minnehaha Academy's 100th anniversary homecoming this September. |
Minnehaha Academy dedicated its first building in 1913, almost a hundred years ago. The school had actually been in existence, teaching in homes in South Minneapolis, since 1884. The building was the culmination of the work and dedication of Swedish immigrants (many of whom took out mortgages on their own homes to help finance the construction), and the school was meant to act as a safeguard of Swedish cultural values. All students of Swedish immigrants were required to take two years of Swedish language. The school emphasized vocational skills, such as how to be a railway clerk or a letter carrier. The board of directors was made up mostly of Swedish Evangelical Lutheran ministers from the area.
A religious “awakening” had spread through Sweden in the middle of the 19th century. It was marked by an emphasis on living an active Christian life, translating the gospel into action.
read more
Mayor tries to sell his budget
BY ED FELIEN
Mayor R T Rybak hosted a Community Forum Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Becketwood Cooperative Living, 4300 W. River Pkwy., to discuss his proposed 2013 budget.
read more
Colorwheel Gallery, where art and politics meet
BY JANET CONTURSI
As you walk through the door of the Colorwheel Gallery in South Minneapolis, owner, artist and hair stylist Tammy Ortegon will greet you with a warm smile and an invitation to passionately discuss the state of the world.
read more
Smooth sailing so far for Birchwood and Seward Cafes
BY ED FELIEN
 The Staff Reports on the proposed changes for the Birchwood and Seward Cafés recommend approval of the proposed changes and, barring unforeseen problems, the approvals should be given at the Planning Commission meeting, Monday, Oct. 15, and then the proposals will march to the Zoning and Planning Committee and then to the full City Council.
Tracy Singleton, the owner of the Birchwood Café, is asking for a rezoning of portions of her properties at 3311 East 25th St. and 2503 33rd Ave. S from single family to commercial to allow for the expansion of the restaurant.
read more
Watch out for the Speed Trap in Cedar Rapids!
BY ED FELIEN
On the last warm weekend in September my wife and I traveled down to Davenport, Iowa, to visit family and watch the St. Ambrose Bees lose their homecoming football game to the Valley View Vikings. It was a lovely visit, but it was ruined when we got a letter in the mail a week later from the City of Cedar Rapids telling us we had violated its speeding ordinance by driving 67 and 68 in a 55 mph zone (they got us coming and going). We were liable for a civil fine of $150. It was not considered a criminal offense and “payment of the civil fines shall constitute the final disposition of this matter.”
read more
Minneapolis leads in designing teacher evaluations
I was pleased to hear earlier this week that the Chicago Public Schools reached an agreement with their teachers’ union and students would be returning to school. As a former classroom teacher, principal and now superintendent, it was difficult to watch thousands of already struggling students miss a week of precious class time. It was equally difficult to observe the breakdown of communications among groups whose mission is to keep students front and center.
read more
The hungry insurgent
BY CHARLEY UNDERWOOD
This month has been an amazing one for gleaning. My neighbors have offered me so many apples, grapes, various veggies and even eggs, that I seem to have neglected my own gardens. Not to mention the black walnuts and acorns and hazelnuts, the wild grains and greens and fruits that grow as weeds near my house. There has just been so much food coming my way that I seriously questioned why I should actually go to the trouble of starting seeds, weeding, watering, harvesting and processing my own food, since I have so much around me that would otherwise be wasted.
read more
Israeli and Palestinian women build friendships
Polly Mann selected this article by Michele Chabin, Ms. magazine (Aug. 27, 2012).
One Saturday morning, 15 Jewish Israeli women drove into West Bank Palestinian towns and villages to pick up more than 30 Palestinian women and children carrying pots of homemade food. As cars approached the border checkpoint to Israel the young Israeli soldiers, seeing Israeli license plates and kids in the back seat, waved them through. The Israeli women had just smuggled the Palestinians into Israel.
read more
Pride in the south side, plus desire
BY JEANETTE JUNGBAUER
We were all friends growing up in Longfellow. The summer after 8th grade, we recorded an MTV FANatic spoof in our backyard where one girl was the superstar, and the rest of us were the crazy fans dying to be close to her. In a lot of ways, I secretly believed in our fanatic confessions—these friends of mine would be great, there was no doubt. It was only a matter of time.
read more
More planes, bigger planes and nothing is being done about it
BY ED FELIEN
Only about a dozen residents showed up Monday, Oct. 1, to hear Roy Fuhrmann, the vice president of management and operations at the Metropolitan Airports Commission (and the designated flak-catcher for the evening) defend the MAC’s Environmental Assessment (EA) of its proposed expansion of the airport from now to 2030. The MAC claims only 1,131 new homes would need sound-proofing. The few residents at the meeting were understandably upset.
read more
Vote No, twice, at least:
An Election Year Editorial
BY ED FELIEN, Editor/-Publisher of Southside Pride
 |
Cheri Honkala, Green Party candidate for Vice President, when she was fighting for the rights of homeless people to decent housing in Minneapolis 20 years ago. |
The Republican legislature proposed two amendments to the State Constitution that must be approved by the voters on Nov. 6. Both deserve to be defeated.
The first limits marriage to a man and woman. This says that same sex couples don’t deserve the same legitimacy and social approval of their loving relationship as heterosexual couples. My wife tells me that marriage is a union recognized by the state that says one partner will take care of the other partner and not leave them at a bus stop or highway rest area. It’s in our collective interest that we recognize as many of these relationships as possible. It’s far better for individuals to look out for other individuals than for the state to look out for all of us.
read more
October
Riverside
Community Calendar
events
Anti-War Committee New Members Potluck
Thursday, Oct. 18, 6 to 8 p.m.
The new AWC office
4200 Cedar Ave. S. #4
Bring a food item to share and come to a meeting designed for new people. Get involved and organize to stop war threats on Iran and Syria.
read more
| Riverside Religious Calendar |
|
|
|
|
EVENTS
Living with Loss Support Group
Mondays, Oct. 22, Nov. 5,
6:30 p.m.
Trinity Lutheran Congregation
2001 Riverside Ave.
Open to all members of the community experiencing any kind of emotional, personal or financial loss. No sign-up or commitment is required to attend.
read more |
| 
October 2012 
